Five positives and negatives for Washington Football Team vs. Lions

4 of 7

Nov 15, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones (11) gets tackled after a catch by Washington Football Team safety Deshazor Everett (22) and inside linebacker Jon Bostic (53) during the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Positive 3

Alex Smith is a very nice gift that keeps on giving this season and the story only continues to get better each day. A few months ago, this wasn’t possible. What Smith did on Sunday was impressive, but it’s also obvious that he is shaking off some rust.

Smith is not setting the world on fire here and no one expects him to be a top-notch pro bowler, but these numbers are more than just respectable. Having a quarterback who is constantly checking down is not ideal, but zero turnovers with 390 yards passing is nothing to ignore as well.

There were a couple of critical mistakes from Smith on Sunday, but his performance was obviously a positive from him and for the team.

Negative 3

Time to be blunt and brutal here. The linebackers were anything but engaged in the game. Poor angles. Lack of focus. Lack of discipline. Ineffectiveness on shorter and intermediate routes. Ineffective in the blitz packages. Ineffective at containing running backs. Strange allergic reactions to tackling. Is that honest enough for everyone?

Outside of two or three plays, this unit was disengaged from reality it seems and their focus could’ve been on the Lions cheerleaders, the flight home, or the new gaming console that everyone is talking about.

One thing is certain, the linebackers were nothing short of pitiful against the Lions and if this trend continues, the linebacker corps will face a major overhaul in the upcoming offseason.

Home/Commanders News